dalite wrote:
If one misses the Kumbh festival there's always the Holi festival to mark the beginning of Spring.
Yes, the two are totally different types of festivals. Would love to photograph all the colours of Holi, just need to totally seal the camera and lens.
I would be more worried about my ears, nose and eyes! Sheer madness!
chez wrote:
Yes, the two are totally different types of festivals. Would love to photograph all the colours of Holi, just need to totally seal the camera and lens.
keepclicking wrote:
Chez, what an incredible set! You captured the Kumb mela very nicely. Would love to hear about your time spend with the Sadhu.
Thanks for your kind words. My time with the Sadhu and his deciples was an unbelievable experience. I was blessed by the Sadhu, was fed and shared some hash with him. We did not speak the same language but communicated just fine with some help from the deciples. I was treated like a king at the expense of the deciples as I got the prime sleeping place near the fire and some of the deciples had to find other spots.
The only thing I did wrong was lay down with my feet facing the Sadhu...big mistake. He shouted at me and showed me my wrong doing...then broke out into loud laughter. I got a blanket and used my pack as a pillow. Not much sleep as everyone was up at 3:00am getting ready for the main bathing day...smearing ash from the fire all over their bodies. I even got my face smeared with ash...which resulted in loud laughter again.
In the end we gave each other a big hug and left each other with mutual respect.
golfnphotog wrote:
These images are outstanding-what an opportunity to be at the event. You pictures really convey a much bigger story.
A similar event related to Jainism happens once every 12 years in the South - here is the link.
Beautiful set, I think you did a great job capturing the feel and the atmosphere, especially with a tight FL. Going through the pictures, I could hear and feel the context surrounding the shot - obviously I wasn't there so I don't actually know but I could imagine it easily.
ilikeblonds wrote:
Beautiful set, I think you did a great job capturing the feel and the atmosphere, especially with a tight FL. Going through the pictures, I could hear and feel the context surrounding the shot - obviously I wasn't there so I don't actually know but I could imagine it easily.
Thank you ilikeblondes. That's one of the nicest complements one can give...too hear and feel an image.
Where in India is the Prayagraj Kumbh? I've wanted to photograph a Knmbh Mela but always wondered about accomodation - especially when a few million people are headed to the same location.....was the Kumbh inundated with photographers? I attended the Puskar camel fair and often there were more photographers than camels.
The city is actually Prayagraj which also goes by the name Allahabad. It’s in the North eastern part of India, about 120km from Varanassi.
I stayed at a “tent city” which provided very comfortable accommodations along with meals. There are miles of these tent cities to accommodate mainly non pilgrims.
As far as seeing other photographers, the tent city had a group which I shared some meals with but at the event the only place I saw another photographer was at the Ganges during the bathing day. It’s so huge and so many people I highly doubt you’d run into more than a few photographers.
There are a few photo tours that take you into the Kumb, but i’d just hire a guide from the camp for a day and then go on your own after that.
